HIST302: Medieval Europe

Unit 9: Renaissance Ideas
*The advent of the Renaissance marked the end of the medieval period
and the beginning of the early modern world. Evidence of this
transition could be seen in the fields of philosophy, art, architecture,
and science. Many thinkers looked to classical sources as a reference
point: they wanted to both emulate and improve upon the ideas of the
classical world.

In this unit, we will see how an emphasis on realism and rationalism
was manifest in cathedrals, poetry, scientific treatises and paintings
during the Renaissance era.*

Unit 9 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 15 hours to complete.

☐ Subunit 9.1: 4 hours
☐ Sub-subunit
9.1.1: 0.5 hour

☐ Sub-subunit 9.1.2: 1 hour

☐ Sub-subunit 9.1.3: 1 hour

☐ Sub-subunit 9.1.4: 1 hour

☐ Sub-subunit 9.1.5: 0.5 hour

☐ Subunit 9.2: 3 hours

☐ Subunit 9.3: 4.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 9.3.1: 0.75 hour

☐ Sub-subunit 9.3.2: 0.25 hour

☐ Sub-subunit 9.3.3: 3.5 hours

☐ Subunit 9.4: 3.5 hours

Unit9 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

Describe, in general terms, the importance of the Renaissance.

Describe the effects of the Renaissance on Europe.

Identify some of the general elements and ideals historians have
come to associate with Renaissance culture and explain their reasons
for doing so.

Identify, compare, and contrast the thematic and stylistic
characteristics that distinguish some of the most influential
Renaissance era artists.

Explain the values and principles associated with concepts such as
humanism and their influence upon artistic and social movements
during the period.

Identify and describe the interests and accomplishments of
Renaissance thinkers in the realm of science and technology.

Instructions: Read both parts of Petrarch's "Letter to Cicero" to
learn about Petrarch's methods of relating to classical authors.

Francesco Petrarch was a papal secretary during the Avignon
Papacy. He used his position to gather various classical texts
because he believed that the ancient Romans were more virtuous than
people of his own time and could provide models of behavior for his
contemporaries.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpages above.

Instructions: Read Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's "Oration on the
Dignity of Man" as an example of neoplatonic thought during the
renaissance. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, many
high-ranking, well-educated Byzantines fled to Florence. They
brought with them texts written by the Greek philosopher Plato and
many commentaries on his work written by later philosophers. The
introduction of Platonic ideas had a great deal of influence on
later humanist philosophers.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read "Changes in Artistic Method.” As you
read, answer the following questions: what are the major innovations
of Renaissance painting? How were they executed? What
characterized the “Renaissance style?”

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately
15 minutes to complete.

Instructions: Please read "Realism." As you read, answer the
following questions: in what ways did artists participate in and
were influenced by the recovery of antiquity during the
Renaissance? What are the main characteristics of Renaissance
realism?

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately
15 minutes to complete.

Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510) was one of the favorite artists of
Lorenzo "Il Magnifico" de' Medici. He painted many pieces of art
for the Medici's private rooms, including "Primavera," which depicts
Venus, the Roman goddess of love, celebrating the coming of spring
with a variety of nature gods. The background provides realistic
depictions of over 150 different species of plants.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read "Italian and Dutch Artists." As you
read, answer the following questions: what was the primay goal of
Renaissance painters? What are the main differences between Italian
and Dutch and Flemish painting during the early Renaissance? What
new genres developed in the Netherlands, and how are these genres
related to the characteristics of Dutch and Flemish painting of the
period?

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately
15-20 minutes to complete.

9.2.5 Political Effects in Germany
- Web Media: Fordham University's Internet Modern History
Sourcebook: "The Religious Division of Europe"
Link: Fordham University's Internet Modern History Sourcebook:
"The Religious Division of
Europe" (HTML)

Instructions: View "The Religious Division of Europe" to learn
about the geographic distribution of various Christian sects by
1555.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read “Improvement and Emulation of Classical
Forms.” As you read, answer the following questions: in what ways
does Renaissance sculpture represent classical principles? Which
particular aspects of ancient sculpture did Renaissance sculptors
emulate?

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately
15 minutes to complete.

Instructions: Please read “Brunelleschi and the Dome of the
Florentine Cathedral.” As you read, answer the following questions:
which aspects of classical design are perpetuated in Renaissance
architecture? What characteristics define Brunelleschi’s
architectural designs, and how are these represented in the dome of
the Florentine cathedral?

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately
15-20 minutes to complete.

Instructions: Please read “Rebuilding St. Peter’s Basilica.” As
you read, answer the following questions: what motivations guided
the renovation of St. Peter’s basilica in Rome? How did plans for
the new basilica reflect classical architectural principles?

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately
15 minutes to complete.

9.4 Science9.4.1 Anatomy
- Reading: Fordham University's Internet Modern History Sourcebook:
Professor Paul Halsall’s version of William Harvey's "On the Motion
of the Heart and Blood in Animals"
Link: Fordham University's Internet Modern History Sourcebook:
Professor Paul Halsall’s version of William Harvey's "On the Motion
of the Heart and Blood in
Animals"
(HTML)

Instructions: Read William Harvey's "On the Motion of the Heart and
Blood in Animals" to learn about developments in cardiovascular
theory.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read "Mathematics." As you read, answer the
following questions: what were the primary motivations for studying
mathematics in the early Renaissance? In what ways did the revival
of trade and commerce contribute to the mathematics used by painters
and architects during the period?

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately
15 minutes to complete.